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It's About Healing for Ryan Anderson

In the blink of an eye, Ryan Anderson’s life changed forever. It happened Nov. 6, 2010, at the family farm near Walcott, N.D. A late-fall storm left the fields in tough condition.

Ryan and his buddies forged through, hoping to finish the harvest. Hurrying along, 23-year-old Ryan stepped off the combine, grabbed an armful of cornstalks and tossed them in the corn header. This time he didn’t bother turning off the machinery.

Something grabbed his pant leg and violently sucked him in – then just as quickly let him go.

His buddies called 911, activating a chain of emergency care that saves lives throughout the region, even in the most rural areas.

Ryan heard the whir of the Sanford LifeFlight helicopter descend on the cornfield and knew his path to healing had begun. LifeFlight rapidly airlifted him to Sanford Emergency Center in Fargo. He underwent immediate surgery to amputate his damaged knee.

Then came the most daunting chore of all: learning to walk. A complete Sanford team championed Ryan every step of the way – rehab medicine, physical therapy, pain management and prosthetic support. He plowed through, progressing from crutches to a traditional artificial leg to a high-tech computer generated leg.

“It’s amazing how naturally the C-leg moves,” Ryan said. He puts it to use every day, whether at work as a grain merchandiser or on the golf course enjoying time with friends.

And there’s one more place Ryan has proven himself: the 5K at the 2011 Fargo Marathon. Friends and family members joined him, all wearing “Rockin’ with Ryan” T-shirts. They were able to complete to course, together. Every step of the way.